Friday, August 20, 2010

O M G! I'm so green with envy looking at the beautiful kaftan dresses wore by these ladies. I want one too..hehe. Modern kaftan is definitely the current trend today. Its so comfortable, fashionable and just looked at the beautiful embellishment! Kaftan definitely has been modernized and no longer known as 'baju kelawar' only. 'Baju kelawar' is definitely very comfortable to use in bed even though so NOT sexy because it has such good 'aeration' almost weightless.haha.But the modern kaftan are so expensive probably around RM2000- RM4000!No way.Way out of my budget for a dress. So, I guess I just have to 'cuci mata' jelah looking at these dresses.

I've been a long and firm believer that there are only three essential steps in caring for your skin: cleanser, toner and then moisturizer.Only for the past few years that I heard this word 'exfoliation' and its crucial function to our skin because all healthy skin has its own turnover rate and shed dead skin cells (stratum corneum) every 21-28 days. But as we aged, the turnover rate is slowing down and you have build up of the dead skin layer and renewal of the skin is also delayed. Not only that, exfoliation has so many great benefits to the skin. For oily skin, it helps unclogged pores, reduce sebum production and helps to clear acne. And for dry skin, it helps to remove all the dead skin cells and help better penetration of moisturizer to the skin.

There are two ways you can exfoliate your skin:

1. Physical exfoliation which as the name implied requiring a physical contact using abrasive materials such as granules, brush or washcloths. The best example will be the scrub that we used or microdermabrasion

2. Chemical exfoliation is basically using acid to 'unglue' the outer layer of the skins, increase cell turnover and removing the built-up top layers of the skin. Most commonly used acids are AHAs (glycolic, lactic, malic, citric, and tartaric acids) and BHAs (such as salicylic acid)

These two methods helps to accelerate skin turnover rate so that new healthy young skins can come to the surface. I basically have used both and personally I preferred chemical exfoliation than physical exfoliation. Its difficult to overexfoliate with chemical exfoliant because it only removed the dead skin layer and leave the healthy skin alone and produce better result. I started to use scrubs such as St. Ives Apricot Scrub which I personally hate it. Its easy to overexfoliate because the granules are so big and so harsh on facial skin and ended up with red face. Not cool. And this granules are so harsh that it damage the pores and cause them to enlarge. I know there are a lot of women out there that are afraid to use chemical exfoliant because all that are acid and you don't want to put acid on your face. Even though these are acid but they are weak acids compared to hydrochloric or sulfuric acid which can make hole on our skin. These are strong acids with pH of 1 which is damaging to skin. The weak acids on the other hands have pH of 3-4 which is not that bad.

My verdict:
1. I think exfoliation is a MUST and is as essential as cleansing or putting moisturizer on your face.If you like to use physical exfoliant, do not rub it more than 2 minutes and avoid using scrub everyday. Just use gentle circular motion every 2-3 days is enough. Avoid using scrub with big granules. For those with oily-acne prone skin, avoid scrubbing on your acne because it will just irritate it even more and try to use scrub with BHAs because while you scrubbing the dead skin cells, the salicylic can penetrate the oil in the pores and help with the blemishes/whiteheads.

2. For those who like to use chemical exfoliant, use a thin layer of the mask and gradually thickened it up if you like. Preferably used at night and don't leave it more than 15-20 mins. Always avoid the eye area and put a little bit more on the congested areas such as your nose or chin and you can also combine with physical exfoliant on these congested area by using toothbrush or washclothes. For those chemical exfoliant virgin, give it a try and it might sting and itchy like hell for the first time but be patience as the result worth the pain. Chemical exfoliant can be a bit drying and its best to follow with moisturizing mask or serum after that. For those who used chemical exfoliant regularly, you will noticed that your skin might not have much improvement after a while. This means that your skin has getting used to it and you probably need a stronger chemical exfoliant. But this means with time your skin will required higher and higher acid concentration which is probably not a good idea. My advice is to stop using it for 2 weeks and then restart again or try to change to different brand and then come back using the brand that you like.

3. For those with sensitive skin, exfoliate cautiously and always do a patch test first in case it might not suit your skin. Best to avoid physical exfoliant and use chemical exfoliant instead maybe like once a week or once in forth night.

4. And last but not least, always remember to use sunscreen at least SPF 15 as exfoliation can increase your skin sensitivity to sun exposure and you want to protect the renewed skin as much as possible.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

I've been looking for a good product that rich in Hyaluronic acid after seeing a video of interview with beauty guru, Kate Somerville about her secret to make that 'healthy glow' on famous Hollywood celebrities before their red carpet. She said her secret was simply Hyaluronic acid. And another interesting thing she mentioned was hydration versus moisture. I thought they were the same thing. But nope. They were two different things. Our skin need hydration AND moisture not OR. Hydration come from ingredients such as Hyaluronic acid and moisture from our moisturizer/lotion. Hyaluronic acid forms a major constituent in our skin and is an effective topical humectant. It has major role in wound healing by providing a hydrated micro-environment for cell repair and its interaction with other cell factors drives collagen synthesis. Injectable hyaluronic acid (such as Restylane) has been widely used in lip augmentation and improve wrinkles by restoring dermal integrity.

Good enough right? I decided to try the Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Lotion. Hada Labo is a Japanese brand and quite new in Malaysia. I saw their products at the local pharmacy, Guardian and Watson but not all branch sell this products. After reading a few review from blog raving about it, I'm convinced. I'm a bit worried at first because I have combination/oily skin and I'm worried that this product might be too rich or oily and clogged my pores.But I decided to buy it anyway because I loved SK-II (also Japenese brand) and one bottle of these sold out in every 4 seconds in Japan.

So, I bought this lotion and after using it for 2 weeks, I'm sold out! Hello new HG!

Yup, definitely a new HG for me. I used it everyday like 3-4 times a day in hot day. Just pat and pat and pat it on my skin and let it dry. It cooled down my skin instantly. Its like giving your skin a 'drink' literally.hehe.And my skin loving it. I thought it would be too rich for my combination skin but this lotion just soaked in your skin and doesn't cause oiliness. It gives a plump, more hydrated skin that just glows. I even incorporate this lotion with my daily regime and it works so well. I used under my moisturizer and it just blend it really well and I even used it on my eyes and it helps with all the fine lines too. This is definitely HG material and I'm loving it!!!

First of all, I loved SK-II. Their products are damn expensive but so worth it. In my previous post, you can tell that I can't live without my Facial Treatment Essence. Okay, as for the Cellumination essence, I love it so much especially because it absorb so well on skin, no silicone-y feeling, non-oily and it doesn't cause me any breakout. This luxurious essence has a milky texture and you need to use about 1-2 drops only to cover your whole face. Previously I used Estee Lauder serum and I used it religiously when I was in melbourne but when I used it in malaysia, it broke me out and feels as if I'm putting oil on my skin. So, this is a good replacement and I think this is a great serum for people with oily skin and lived in Malaysia (like me!) because its so non-oily and so far it worked because I can see that it improves my skin complexion, even out my skin tone and reducing the appearance of acne marks and give more luminosity and radiance to my skin.

As for the moisturizer, the Cellumination deep surge cream, it has a gel consistency. It absorb really well and works well with any foundation (liquid and powder). It doesn't make my skin oily and this is a great moisturizer for combination-oily skin. I've tried the SK-II Skin's Signature's cream and SK-II Whitening Source Derm-Brightener before but these two broke me out and feels a bit oily on my skin. I prefer this one for my combination-oily skin. Maybe those two works well for drier skin type. I'm very choosy with my moisturizer. I don't mind using any kinds of cleanser as long as it cleanse well but I'm very picky about my moisturizer. Most moisturizer make my skin oily and cause breakout which are a big no no for me. I want a moisturizer that can give more than just a simple moisture but also other added benefits such as anti-aging, brightening effect, pore minimizer or help with breakouts and actually delivers their promise. So, this is among the 'perfect moisturizer' for me so far next to my Olay Total Effect. I loved the fact that it works and it give my skin not just moisture but more luminous and radiance looking.

As for the price, I'm not really sure the exact price but I think for the essence is RM300+ for 30 ml and RM600+ for the 50 ml and the moisturizer is RM400+. Lucky for me because I get to buy this from a seller that sold this set to me for almost 40% discount.

My verdict:Pros: Absorb well on skin, non-oily, improves my skin's clarity, can be used day and nightCons: No SPF, might not be enough for dry skin type, expensive

P/S: Have you seen the SK-II cellumination commercial on TV featuring Vanida Imran? She looks so unrealistic, almost too white.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Last week, i've made the biggest decision in my entire life.And currently the jobless stayed at home mum is back.hehe.Just relaxing at home and care for my baby son. Just searching on the internet on ideas for a stayed at home mum. Thinking about doing a home-based businesses but not sure what.

Currently i'm just happier.Enjoying life with my beloved husband, son and family.